I. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to delivery devices for positioning and deploying vascular devices within a body lumen for treating certain medical conditions. In particular, embodiments are directed to delivery devices for positioning and deploying non-symmetric vascular devices.
II. Description of the Related Art
Over the past few decades, advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of septal defects, such as atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects. In general, septal defects are congenital heart defects in which the inner wall separating the left and right sides of the heart (i.e., the septum) has a hole or an opening that has failed to close.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematic representations of a patient's heart 205. In FIG. 1A, the patient's heart 205 has a hole 210 in the septum 215 between the heart's two upper chambers (the left atrium 220 and the right atrium 225), called an atrial septal defect (ASD). In FIG. 1B, the patient's heart 205 has a hole 210 in the septum 215 between the heart's two lower chambers (the left ventricle 230 and the right ventricle 235), called a ventricular septal defect (VSD). Ventricular septal defects can occur in any location of the ventricular septum. Two common locations for these defects are the perimembranous septum and the muscular septum.
As a result of an atrial septal defect or a ventricular septal defect, blood is able to pass from the left side of the heart to the right side, mixing oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood. This can cause a variety of problems for the individual as time goes on, such as pulmonary hypertension, right-sided heart failure, atrial fibrillation or flutter, and stroke.
One way to non-surgically treat septal defects is to permanently place a vascular device, such as an occluding device, in the heart to cover the hole. The vascular device is typically delivered to the site of the septal defect using a delivery device, which, in conjunction with other delivery instruments, is inserted into the blood vessel in the patient's groin and passed through vessels into the heart's chambers. At the site of the defect, the vascular device may be deployed, detached from the delivery device, and left permanently placed in the hole. With time, the lining of the heart wall should grow over the vascular device to seal the hole completely.
The configuration of the particular vascular device used to repair the defect may depend on the size and location of the defect. In addition to positioning the vascular device at the correct location with respect to the defect, the vascular device may need to be rotated to achieve an appropriate orientation with respect to adjacent tissue and body structures.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved delivery device that allows a user to easily and accurately change the orientation of a vascular device within the body lumen and is able to interface with other vascular device delivery instruments to accurately place the vascular device at the defect site.